Authorities investigating circus duck abuse

An incident involving a duck during one of the shows at the Ċirkella Circus in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq is being investigated for alleged animal cruelty by the authorities.

Animal Rights Parliamentary Secretary Alicia Bugeja Said remarked on Thursday that an investigation is ongoing to ensure that “justice prevails”.

She said the Animal Welfare Directorate is probing whether any animal was hurt, following a report of alleged use and abuse of animals “at a circus”. Bugeja Said did not elaborate.

However, she was reacting to comments that were widely shared on social media by content creator Sarah Grech, concerning the use of a duck in one of the acts during a show that took place on 22 December. The duck was allegedly thrown several times towards the public, each time hitting the metal stands.

The incident was reported to the police, who confiscated the duck and handed it over to Animal Welfare Services. The incident is now being investigated by the Veterinary Regulation Directorate.

Animal circuses have been banned in Malta since 2014 and the Ċirkella Circus has advertised itself as animal-free.

The circus has told Lovin Malta that no animals are used in its acts and the incident was a one-off personal initiative of the performer.

Meanwhile, Commissioner for Animal Welfare Alison Bezzina has made a public appeal urging anyone who has footage of the incident or who witnessed it to come forward. 

“Any audience members that may have attended the Cirkella Circus show on 22 December and has video footage of a live animal being used as part of an act, please contact our office,” she said. “Even if you do not have footage but witnessed the incident and would be ready to testify about what you saw, please get in contact.”

The circus is being organised by Splash and Fun park and the Spanish circus artist group La Gondola Rossa.